The Cherry Street lift bridge in Toronto’s Port Lands neighbourhood has finally reopened after being stuck in a vertical position for nearly one month.
The bridge, located at Cherry Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East, had been closed since it malfunctioned on Aug. 1 when a mechanical and electrical failure caused it to get stuck upright, according to city officials.
The closure caused motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to use detours in order to access the Port Lands, leaving Leslie Street as the only direct option to access the southern portion of the neighbourhood.
Two TTC bus routes also had to be detoured as a result of the closure.
The lengthy delay to get the bridge back in a horizontal position led to many expressing frustration on social media.
Earlier in August, Global News spoke to a business owner in the Port Lands who claimed the closure was affecting his bottom line because of the extra time needed to access the area.
In terms of why exactly it took so long for the bridge to be lowered, in an Aug. 9 statement city officials said, “The work is complex and will require multiple stages to complete, including securing the bridge to remove the malfunctioning components, large cranes to lower the bridge, and inspections.”
The city also posted a video on Monday discussing their plan to fix the bridge.
The bridge was finally lowered on Thursday. It has since underwent an inspection and reopened.
“It has been a long and arduous task for PortsToronto and city staff to reinstate the Cherry Street bridge safely,” Mayor John Tory said in a statement.
“I’m pleased that crews were able to reopen this crucial link to the Port Lands in time for the long weekend.”
The bridge, which opened in 1968, is scheduled to be replaced in 18 months as part of an unrelated project.
WATCH: (Aug. 8) Unknown timeline for Cherry Street lift bridge repairs
– With files from Albert Delitala